Guiding cane



C. W. GOYNES GUIDING CANE May 10, 1955 Filed Sept. 3, 1954 United States Patent GUIDING CANE Crawford W. Goynes, San Francisco, Calif assignor of (tlvzigfty per cent to Julia E. Horace, San Francisco,

Application September 3, 1954, Serial No. 454,123

2 Claims. (Cl. 135-63) The present invention relates to improvements in a guiding cane to be used by a blind perambulating person, wherein a longitudinally adjustable or telescopic cane or rod is provided at its upper end with a laterally offset handle and at the lower end with a converging frame or wheel fork having a bearing pivotally mounted upon the apex thereof, which operate in conjunction with a suitable wheel rotatably mounted upon said bearing and adapted to be swayed upon said frame or fork within the limits of the convergence thereof and thereby search through a wider path to detect possible obstacles, and also to operate as a breaking means to prevent rotation of said wheel and thereby provide a stationary and rigid support upon which a person temporarily or otherwise may rest, together with an audible distinguishing or characteristic signal actuated by rotation of said wheel, when in operation, whereby the approach of a handicapped person may be heralded.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved guiding cane for the blind or nearly sightless having improved means adapted to blindly search out a wider path and detect adjacent obstacles therein.

Another object is to provide a new and improved device of the character set forth having improved means adapted to relieve a blind person of the greater portion of the weight of an exploring probe.

A further object is to provide a new and improved cane of the type described having a distinctive or characteristic audible signal, when operated as a guide, to herald the approach of a handicapped person.

A still further object is to provide a new and improved guide for blind persons having a rolling lower end adapted to be effectively braked against rotation, whereby said cane may be used as a rigid support upon which 4 an operator may partially rest.

The improvement comprises the device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present application, and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the guiding cane;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of the audible signal mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 2 is used to designate in general a preferably telescopically adjustable cane or rod having a laterally extended or otfset handle 4 on its upper end and a converging wheel fork or frame 6 extended from the lower end.

A suitable bearing 8 is pivotally mounted upon a pivot 10, whose axis preferably is coplanar with the offset of the handle 4, and a suitable wheel 12 rotatably is mounted 2,707,963 Patented May 10, 1955 upon said bearing 8 and rotates through the convergence of the fork or frame 6, as disclosed in Figure 1 of the drawings, and therefore adapted to sway within the confines of said convergence on its pivot 10, the purpose of which hereinafter more fully will be set forth.

A suitable signal, comprising a spring 14, has one end fixed to the bearing 8 with its opposite free end normally held against a stop 16 on the bearing 8 upon said signal or spring 14 is mounted. The spring or signal 14 is provided with a double beveled shoulder 18 normally held within the rotative path of a plurality of lugs 20 mounted upon the adjacent hub of the wheel 12.

As the wheel 12 rotates, the lugs 20 contact and recede the shoulder 18, and the mild clicking of the return action of said spring 14 when contacted and released, will produce a distinguishing or characteristic signal to herald the approach of a blind person, to adjacent pedestrians and others.

In operation, with the handle 4 of the cane or rod 2 held preferably downward, the cane is propelled on its wheel forwardly, with the wheel 12 supporting and thereby relieving an operator of the greater portion of the weight of the guide and operation thereof should an uneven pavement or surface be encountered, ora slight twist of the wrist be given, the wheel 12 will tend to sway within the convergence of the fork frame 6 and travel laterally, within limits, and detect adjacent or proximate obstacles in the path of said operator, the audible signal meanwhile operating with a mild rather than a sharp staccato sound, which eventually, when the device is widely used, shall be a distinguishing alarm concerning certain handicapped persons. The swaying prop erties of the wheel 12 will therefore explore a wider path for the benefit of an operator, as indicated by the two. dotted positions in Figure l of the drawings.

To provide a rigid support or rest, upon which an operator may temporarily lean, the cane or rod 2 is placed upright, when the wheel 12 and bearing 8 will turn upon the pivot 10 and assume either dotted position in Figure 1 of the drawings, in which case the frictional engagement of the side of said wheel 12 with the inner convergence of the frame or fork 6 will operate to prevent rotation of the wheel 12, which action will readily pro vide a stationary support and rest to an operator.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A guiding cane comprising a telescopically adjustable rod having a laterally offset handle at its upper end; a converging wheel fork frame extended from the lower end of said rod; a bearing pivotally mounted at the apex of said converging wheel fork; and a wheel rotatably mounted on said bearing and extending into said converging wheel fork.

2. A guiding cane comprising a rod having a laterally offset handle at its upper end; a converging wheel fork frame extended from the lower end of said rod; a bearing pivotally mounted on the apex of said converging wheel fork on a pivot coplanar with said offset handle; a wheel rotatably mounted upon said bearing; and an audible signal on said bearing adapted to be actuated by rotation of said wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

